Mumbai, Nov 10 (PTI) The Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court its investigation into the alleged corruption case involving businessman Jitendra Navlani did not reveal the involvement of any officer from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
In an affidavit submitted before a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and R N Laddha, the state ACB said investigation carried out has not revealed any role or involvement of any officer of the ED in the corruption case.
“The apprehension there will be coercive action is nothing but an imagination of petitioner (agency),” the ACB said.
“Resultantly, there is no occasion for the investigating agency to treat any officer of the ED as suspect or accused,” the affidavit said.
Pursuant to this, the ED withdrew its petition filed in HC seeking protection for their officers from coercive action.
The ACB had lodged a case against Navlani after he allegedly extorted Rs 58 crore from private companies between 2015 to 2021.
The ACB’s First Information Report was registered when the Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, was in power. The MVA government fell on June 29 this year.
Although no ED officer was named as an accused in the case, the Central probe agency apprehended coercive steps against its officers following certain remarks made by political leaders.
The ED, in its petition, said the ACB’s FIR smacked of malafides and there was a clear attempt by the state machinery to thwart various investigations initiated against ministers “several of whom are closely connected with the ruling dispensation in the state”.
The agency had sought HC to transfer the investigation to any impartial agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation to ensure the investigation progresses objectively. PTI SP BNM BNM
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